UNICEF calls for immediate end to attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine as nine children reportedly killed in Kryvyi Rih

GENEVA, 5 April 2025 – “We are devastated by the horrific attack in Kryvyi Rih that reportedly killed at least nine children and injured many more, including one as young as three months old.

“A missile reportedly struck a residential neighbourhood in the Saksahanskyi district in the early evening, a time when many families gather ahead of the weekend, landing near a playground and tearing through homes, schools and a restaurant. Among the scenes of devastation, parents were seen weeping, cradling the body of their dead son. No child should ever suffer such terror. No parent should ever endure such pain.

“UNICEF and our partners are on the ground supporting affected families and coordinating with local authorities to deliver emergency assistance. The response is ongoing.

“More than 2,500 children have been killed or injured since February 2022, according to UN-verified data, and millions of young lives have been upended.

“Every child killed is a future stolen. The brutal use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure, which disproportionally harm children, must end.

“Children in Ukraine need peace. They need protection. They need a sense of hope for the future, not more grief and pain.”

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Notes for editors:

Multimedia materials available here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM4080FDL1J

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The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.

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